The Rondo finale of Mozart’s Sonata No. 7 in C major, K. 309, is marked Allegretto grazioso. A lightly turning upper melody returns between longer episodes, usually above an active left-hand broken-chord pattern. Graces, trills, quick runs, and repeated octave-position figures give the episodes a more restless surface. Despite its extended closing section, the movement ends with a quiet recollection of the refrain rather than a final burst of heavy chords.

Opening refrain: An eighth-note pickup leads into the right hand’s small turning figures. The left hand supplies continuous broken chords, and varied slurs and detached notes keep the short phrases distinct. Groups of graces and trills decorate the upper line without hiding its recurring outline.

First episode: Rising broken-chord figures pass between the hands, supported by bass octaves and occasional sustained inner notes. Another melodic passage leads into sixteenth-note triplets and longer thirty-second-note runs. Repeated alternating octave positions in the right hand create a particularly fast-moving texture, with chromatic chords interrupting the flow before the episode closes.

Returns and further episodes: A transition brings back the refrain with fuller accompaniment and additional ornaments. A later contrasting passage combines light grace-note figures with continuous lower sixteenths and changing harmonies. Earlier episode material returns, followed by more alternating octave figures and a quick connecting run. The refrain then reappears again, making the large-scale pattern easy to hear despite the many changes in surface detail.

Extended close: Long trills above broken chords lead into a substantial coda. The hands join in runs, answer one another with short chords and lower phrases, and revisit the rapid octave-position pattern. Stronger chords and a further trill briefly broaden the sound. Finally, fragments of the refrain return softly, leading to a low closing cadence with a slowing of the motion.

Interesting fact: Although the finale contains several brilliant episodes, its last phrases return to the refrain’s lighter character. The written ending draws its effect from a quieter register and reduced motion.